The fast pace and high stress of modern life, coupled with unhealthy lifestyle habits like nightlife and alcohol consumption, can trigger sleep disorders. Patients often exhibit tension, anxiety, and even paranoid tendencies. Moreover, unhealthy sleep can lead to various social problems. The agony of sleeplessness and the dependency side effects of sleeping pills pose a dilemma. How can this be addressed? In fact, diet and nutrition play a significant role in combating insomnia. Food is closely linked to sleep quality.
There are many causes of insomnia. In addition to psychological factors like depression, anxiety, and stress, it can also be related to various foods, beverages, and medications consumed daily.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) also holds that certain foods and herbs have properties that nourish the heart, benefit the spleen, nourish the blood, and calm the spirit, effectively promoting sleep. Examples include lily bulb, longan, lotus seeds, honey, wheat, tremella fungus, goji berries, mulberries, reishi mushroom, and American ginseng. Consuming these before bed or brewing them as a tea can help you "have a good night's sleep." For those with irritability and insomnia, drinking lotus seed core tea is recommended.
Many people believe that "not being able to fall asleep is insomnia." However, according to the principle of treating different syndromes with different methods, individuals with different types of insomnia have targeted dietary therapies. For those with heart-fire flaring upwards and irritability preventing sleep, lotus seed core tea can be consumed. Use 2 grams of lotus seed core, steeped in boiling water like tea, and drink it before bed. Lotus seed core is bitter and cold in nature, with properties that nourish life and calm the spirit. The "Great Dictionary of Chinese Medicine" also records its use for treating "excessive dreaming at night."
For those with yin-deficiency insomnia accompanied by a dry mouth and dry cough, lily bulb congee is more suitable. Use 100 grams of raw lily bulb and 100 grams of japonica rice, wash them, add 1000ml of water, and cook until the rice is soft. It can be consumed frequently. It not only helps with falling asleep and reduces nightmares but also has beauty and skin-nourishing effects.
For those with insomnia due to deficiency of both the heart and spleen, a congee made with 30 grams of longan, 50 grams of japonica rice, and 2 red dates is quite effective. Longan is sweet and warm in nature, benefiting the heart and brain. Japonica rice clears heat and calms the spirit, while red dates benefit the spleen and nourish the blood. The combination of these three works together to benefit the heart and spirit, harmonize the spleen and stomach, and promote peaceful sleep.
For the elderly or those with a weak constitution who have poor sleep, they can eat millet congee or milk oatmeal for dinner. Millet is a standout among grains for its high tryptophan content and also has the additional benefits of strengthening the spleen, harmonizing the stomach, and inducing sleep. When cooked into a congee, it is also easily absorbed. For oatmeal, add three times the amount of milk and cook for 15 minutes. A little sugar can be added according to personal taste. It not only calms the mind but also moistens the lungs and relieves constipation. If cooking oatmeal seems time-consuming, instant oatmeal can be used as a substitute.
In addition, there are several dietary therapies that tonify the middle jiao, replenish qi, generate fluids, and eliminate vexation, which have unique effects in treating insomnia. Use 15 grams of goji berries, 15 grams of mulberries, and an appropriate amount of longan, add water and bring to a boil, and take once in the morning and once at night. For another remedy, take 10 grams of reishi mushroom extract, 250 grams of glutinous rice, and 15 grams of wheat to make a congee for dinner, which has excellent therapeutic effects.
To get a good night's sleep, it is best to avoid foods containing protein and tyrosine before bed. This is because once tyrosine levels in the blood increase, it can enter the brain and be converted into chemicals that keep the mind sharp—dopamine and norepinephrine. It also hinders the production of serotonin, easily exciting the brain and making it difficult to fall asleep. Foods such as fish, meat, chicken, duck, egg yolks, soybeans, eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, and cheese should be avoided before bedtime. Furthermore, stimulating substances like caffeine, alcohol, and chocolate can be mentally invigorating and should be avoided as much as possible by those with insomnia.